Solar power or solar energy has been used for many decades for heating dwellings and water and for generating electricity. Because solar power is a renewable energy source much effort has been made to develop systems to use such energy. The costs have been high and the storage of energy has not been very effective. A significant problem is the need for effectively positioning solar concentrators relative to the sun as the sun moves during the day. The best thick plastic-fibers available in the market have been studied but none of these provided the required level of optical transmission in the near-infrared (NIR) and a large fraction of the incident energy is lost in the waveguides after only a few meters propagation. The efficiencies of conventional systems have been low and there is a need for a more efficient and cost effective system.
The method of the present invention provides a solution to the above-outlined problems. More particularly, the method is for of conveying a solar power. A parabolic reflector receives sunrays that reflects and concentrates the sunrays as light into a second reflector that reflects the light into a tapering device. The tapering device conveys the light to a first curved glass rod section. The first curved glass rod section conveys the light to a second curved glass rod section via a gap defined between the ends of the first and second rod sections. The second rod section conveys the light to a third rod section via a second gap. The first rod section is rotated relative to the second rod section and the second rod section is rotated relative to the third rod section so that the parabolic reflector follows a path of the sun.
In another embodiment, the third glass rod section extends into a solid storage unit.
In another embodiment, the rays are conveyed and reflected inside the tapering device.
In yet another embodiment, the third glass rod section conveys and emits the light into an inside of the storage unit wherein the light converts into heat upon impact with the storage unit to heat the storage unit.